Skip to main content

"Illegal" release of unused Narmada waters to help North Gujarat rich farmers harms saltpan workers

By Our Representative
The Gujarat government’s failure to develop the Narmada canal network to take irrigation waters to the footsteps of the farmers’ fields in North Gujarat and beyond has begun to harm hundreds of saltpan workers in the Little Rann of Kutch. According to the latest information available from the Rann, the Narmada waters, considered the lifeline of Gujarat, are allowed to flow relentlessly into the Rann’s wide expanses via Banas river without taking into account whom is it may harming. In fact, government officials’ explanation is, in case they do not release the unused waters into the Rann, it might “harm the canal” – hence they have “no other option but to release them.”
According to the information received from the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL), the work for the Kutch branch may have begun but there is no portion where it has been completed. Meanwhile, unused Narmada waters continue flowing, and powerful interests led by local BJP MLA Shankar Chaudhury illegally use the waters for the rich farmers’ advantage in Patan and Banaskantha districts. A senior official revealed, “Uninterrupted flow of Narmada waters is illegally allowed to be released into Banas river. Only 10 per cent of the waters are used. The rest of them go waste. The result is that waters overflow into the Rann of Kutch, harming the saltpan workers.”

The waters are generally being released from a spot which is a little ahead of the place where the Kutch canal branches off from the Narmada main canal in North Gujarat. The branch canal is currently under construction, and it is planned to help farmers of Banaskantha and Patan districts as also those of Kutch district. The total command area of the Kutch branch canal is 1.76 hectares (ha), out of which 63,111 ha is in Banaskantha and Patan districts, while the rest is in the Kutch district – around 1.13 ha. “Without waiting for the canal network to be completed, the local interests ensure that waters are siphoned off from the Kutch branch canal”, the sources said.
The official explanation for failure to use Narmada waters is that “it has to do done” in order to ensure that the canal does not experience a breach. However, the result of such uninterrupted flow towards the Rann via Banas river has led to a situation where many of the saltpan workers have been forced to represent to the local officials that this is harming their livelihood, but to no avail. Their saltpans, which require saline water, available aplenty underground in the Rann, get flooded with sweet water. “They have pleaded to the executive engineer, Narmada office in Chanasma, not to release Narmada waters like this. They have also represented to the local revenue officials about this”, sources said. 
During start of this new season for growing salt after the monsoon, the saltpan workers even collected a sum of Rs 70,000 to repair the kutcha road across the Banas river into the desert. They had hoped that this would ensure regular supply of drinking water, mobile health van, and mobile ration van to them. “But within a week, the Narmada department released water from the sub-canal, and the road and the bridge got washed away”, a local social worker said, adding, “This is harming large areas, including Santalpur, Maliya and Kharaggoda regions of the Little Rann of Kutch.”
Meanwhile, helped by the Agariya Heet Rakshak Manch, which represents the saltpan workers in the area, the saltpan workers are planning to hold a demonstration in front of the mamlatdar’s office in Santalpur against the rampant release of Narmada waters into Banas river, which crosses into the Rann. However, officials believe, things would not improve until the Narmada canal network is completed. As of today, not only the canal network to take waters to the farms but even the branch canal which is proposed to help the farmers of Banaskantha, Patan and Kutch district is incomplete. In fact, the branch canal’s 33 per cent of the mudwork, 25 per cent of the linking and 60 per cent of the concreting remains to be done. Of the total 5.6 lakh ha out of 18 lakh ha completed in the total Narmada comment, work has not even begun in any of the three districts.

Comments

TRENDING

Savarkar 'criminally betrayed' Netaji and his INA by siding with the British rulers

By Shamsul Islam* RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.

Delhi HC rules in favour of retired Air Force officer 'overcharged' for Covid treatment

By Rosamma Thomas*  In a decision of May 22, 2023, the Delhi High Court ruled in favour of petitioner Group Captain Suresh Khanna who was under treatment at CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram, between April 28 and May 5, 2021, for a period of eight days, for Covid-19 pneumonia. The petitioner had to pay Rs 3,55,286 as treatment costs, but the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) only reimbursed him for Rs 1,83,748, on the basis of government-approved rates. 

'Enough evidence' in Indian tradition to support legal basis for same-sex marriage

By Iyce Malhotra, Joseph Mathai, Sandeep Chachra*  The ongoing hearing in the Supreme Court on same-sex marriage provides space for much-needed conversations on issues that have hitherto remained “invisible” or engaged with patriarchal locker room humour. We must recognize that people with diverse sexualities and complex gender identities have faced discrimination, stigma and decades of oppression. Their issues have mainly remained buried in dominant social discourse, and many view them with deep insecurities.

Religious divide 'kept alive' with low intensity communalism in Gujarat's cultural capital

By Rajiv Shah  A fact-finding report, prepared by the Mumbai-based non-profit, Centre for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS), has cited the Vadodara Ram Navami violence of March 30 as yet another example of how, after the BJP consolidating its hold on political power in Gujarat post-2002 riots and at the Centre in 2014, the nature of communal riots has changed, underlining, as opposed to high-intensity violence earlier, now riots have become “more sub-radar and at a smaller scale, more localized”.

Urgency for next pandemic? But Mr Health Secretary, you're barking up wrong tree

By Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD*  The Union Health Secretary, Mr Rajesh Bhushan addressing the Health Working Group of G20 India, at Hyderabad on 05 June 2023, cautioned that the next pandemic would not wait for us to make global treaties and called on countries to work together.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Why continued obsession with adding more 'water guzzling' coal, nuclear power plants?

By Shankar Sharma*  The true concerns over water inefficiency in coal power plants have been known and have been highlighted many times in the past. A highly relevant study report by Prayas Energy Group had highlighted this fast looming threat to our society many years ago. But our authorities have been acting as though there can be no issue with water supply, and that additional coal power plants can be added indefinitely; even without any true relevance to climate change.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Caste, impact on Ayodhya area 'halting' BJP rulers to act against Brij Bhushan Singh

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  Finally, the #WrestlersProtest has got international attention. The United World Wrestling (UWW),  condemning the treatment and detention of wrestlers and expressing its disappointment over the lack of results of the investigations against Brij Bhushan Singh, accused of sexually harassing women wrestlers, has urged the "relevant authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation."

76% Odisha govt school infrastructure in dilapidated state, 'undermine' RTE norms

By Our Representative  As many as 75.86% (5,421) elementary schools in Odisha do not possess a playground, depriving students of physical activity opportunities. Also, 75.68% (5,408) of schools require minor or major repairing, undermining the norms and standards stipulated in the Right to Education (RTE) Act.